MLB Bargain Bin: July 14th

After a long four-day absence due to the All Star break, fantasy baseball is back in a big way this Friday night on DraftKings as all 30 Major League Baseball teams are playing. To help you save some salary and still get good production, check out today’s MLB Bargain Bin where you’ll find my two pitchers under $8K and three hitters who under $3.5K.

Pitchers

Jon Gray – COL @ NYM – $7,900

Gray spent most of the first half on the DL with a foot injury, but the 25-year-old righty has looked good in his two starts since returning showing the potential for a strong second half. He has only made five starts this year and is 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA. He has picked up 24 strikeouts in 24 innings and hasn’t had a really bad start since Opening Day against the Brewers.

In his two starts since coming off the DL, Gray has 15 strikeouts in 11.2 innings posting 28.7 DKFP against the Diamondbacks in Arizona and 17.4 DKFP in his last start which came at home against the Reds. Tonight, he’ll face the Mets at pitcher-friendly Citi Field. Last year, Gray made one start against the Mets and allowed just two runs on five hits in seven innings while striking out eight.

Dan Straily – MIA vs. LAD – $7,100

In his first year with Miami, Straily put together a strong first half, and he’s a very nice play tonight even though he’s facing a tough Dodgers lineup. Straily went 7-4 in his 18 first-half starts posting a 3.31 ERA and 1.05 WHIP which would both be career-bests if maintained those numbers the rest of the season. He has 97 strikeouts in his 103.1 innings and has at least 15 DKFP in eight of his last 10 starts coming into the break.

At home, Straily has been even better, holding opponents to a .189 batting average at Marlins Park and posting a 3-1 record in nine starts with a 2.31 ERA. He did face the Dodgers earlier this season totaling 22.6 DKFP in a win back on May 20th. In that outing, he allowed three runs on four hits in 5.2 innings while striking out eight.

Hitters

Paul DeJong – 2B/SS – STL @ PIT – $2,600

DeJong headed into the break with an amazing series against the Mets. In the three-game set in St. Louis, he posted 22, 33 and 17 DKFP while going 9-12 with four doubles, three home runs and four RBI. He was 11-16 in the last week before the break raising his average to .313 on the season with a .932 OPS.

Even with Aledmys Díaz and Kolten Wong healthy, look for the Cardinals to find plenty of playing time for their 23-year-old prospect after he filled in so well throughout the first half of the season. At such a cheap price, DeJong is a great solution at either 2B or SS as the Cardinals open up the second half against Gerrit Cole and the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Wilmer Difo – 2B/SS – WSH @ CIN – $3,400

Another hot-hitting middle infielder to consider under $3.5K tonight is Wilmer Difo who has helped the Nationals in the absence of Trea Turner. Difo is 9-16 (.563) this month, and he has also added seven walks to give him a .640 OBP and a 1.265 OPS. Difo even did his best Turner impersonation and swiped a bag in his eight games in July.

Difo is definitely a nice play if he’s near the top of the Nationals’ power-packed lineup, and he can offer some solid production and speed as long as he stays hot. Tonight, he and the Nats open the second half taking on righty Tim Adleman and the Reds at Great American Ballpark.

Christian Yelich – OF – MIA @ LAD – $3,400

If you’re spending under $3.5K on one of your OF spots, Yelich is my top option to target tonight. On the season, the Marlins’ lefty is hitting .280 with eight homers and 43 RBI, and he came into the break with nice momentum averaging 10.6 FPPG over his last 10 games going 14-43 (.326) with five doubles, six walks, six RBI and a home run. He normally gets a nice spot in the order between Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna putting him right in the middle of plenty of run production.

His overall numbers are a bit down this year, but he has fared well against righties with an .801 OPS and has also had good success at home in Miami. He offers a little bit of speed and is still just 25 years old and part of the Marlins’ young core. Yelich is one of many Fish whose names will fly around leading up to the trade deadline, but his price and a good matchup against Brandon McCarthy make him worth considering for your fantasy team this Friday.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Z.Thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above.

Latest Headlines From

Jacob deGrom • SP • NYM

Jacob deGrom continues late surge for Cy Young

Last season, deGrom ($11,500) ran away with the National League Cy Young. He had a historic season and his 1.70 ERA was one of the best marks in the history of the league. That kind of performance is tough to replicate, but he's been on the mark since the All-Star break. He has a sub 2.00 ERA in the second half of the season and has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his 13 starts. Tonight's performance was one of his best of the year. Pitching against the Dodgers, the best team in the National League, deGrom worked seven shutout innings and tallied eight strikeouts. He finished with 29.35 DKFP and could be on his way to back to back Cy Young Awards.

Eduardo Rodriguez strikes out 12 in pitchers' duel

Rodriguez ($10,300) went back-and-forth dueling with Aaron Nola ($9,500) tonight. Both allowed just a single run and the game came down to the bullpens. Neither starter got a decision although Rodriguez had the edge in the department we care about, fantasy points. The dozen strikeouts for E-Rod are a season-high and he scored 33.4 DKFP even though he didn't get the win bonus. On the other side of the game, Nola was no slouch. He pitched seven innings, striking out nine batters against a potent Boston offense and scored 27.55 DKFP. The lose for Philly was costly and moves it 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot. The Phillies need a near-flawless finish to the season to clinch a playoff birth.

Brett Gardner homers twice as Yankees roll 13-3

The Yankees continue to slug their way to the postseason and homered five times on their way to a 13-3 rout in Toronto. Gardner ($4,100; 39 DKFP) was the only player with multiple home runs, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI. Luke Voit ($4,600; 29 DKFP) went 2-for-3 with a home run, Gleyber Torres ($4,800; 20 DKFP) went 1-for-3 with a home run, and Mike Ford ($4,100; 16 DKFP) got in on the action coming off the bench with a home run in his only at-bat. The Yankees have 20 homers in their past six games and 285 on the season. They have already broken their record for most team home runs from last season and are ahead of the Twins in a race to set the new mark.